Teatime Giveaway #23 - Teatime stationery and stickers

The winner of the vintage placemats from last week was Loretta J. Congrats! This week, a friend of this blog has once again generously donated giveaway items, this time some fun stationery that you are going to love: tea-themed stickers, a cute notepad and some folders to store it all!

First, these stickers would be great for scrapbooking as well as for dressing up your teatime correspondence. There are stickers for both English afternoon style tea and a more Asian style tea, so you should be prepared for documenting them all!

Check out the sweet shop in this cute die-cut stationery notepad and, if you're like me, you'll wish this was real! Note the tea caddies up top and the teapot and teacup in the second row. Sweet!

Finally, there are two great folders for keeping all these fun supplies neatly organized. Want to win? Just leave a comment to this post between now and noon EST on Friday, June 15. Good luck!

Some great new tea-themed fabric

My friend Kathy in Savannah has been known to send an e-mail telling me a package is on the way. She always under-describes her gifts, saying, "It's nothing, it's just a little something, don't get too excited, it's no biggie." The last time she said that, the mailman delivered a new Lexus. (Well, not really.) But seriously, she acts like it's going to be a paper clip or something and inside is the most marvelous gift.

This time it was some Japanese tea-themed fabric I had never seen before but which I absolutely love-love-love!

I collect fabrics with teacups and teapots on them, and ...

... I also collect fabrics with handwriting on them, and this had both! This is the perfect fabric for a tea-loving writer, wouldn't you say? If this is your cup of tea as well, it's by Daiwabo for E. E. Schenck Company. Now I just have to figure out the perfect project for this fabric!

Easy iced tea with easy simple syrup

Recently I was asked how I make my iced tea, and I have to say my favorite way is with this Bodum iced tea pitcher!

I just place tea leaves inside (English Afternoon Tea here), add water, place in the refrigerator, and the lid strains off the leaves. I don't remove the tea leaves, and unlike tea steeped in boiling water, this tea does not get bitter!

Here you can see the leaves beginning to do their thing.

If you like a glass of sweetened tea, as I do occasionally, be sure and try making your own mint simple syrup sometime. I recently came across a Chocolate Mint plant at Walmart and had to see what kind of simple syrup it would make.

First, I picked a few branches of mint. Then I rinsed the leaves and pinched them off.

To make a simple syrup, you just heat 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water until the crystals dissolve, which takes just a few minutes, and then turn off the heat and add the mint. Here are my mint leaves swirling around in the simple syrup (takes about 30 minutes). Strain off the leaves and there you have one of the easiest, most enjoyable tea sweeteners you will ever try!

"Jasmine Nights & Monkey Pluck: Love, Discovery and Tea"

Just when I think I've run out of tea books to read, I learn about a new one, or in this case, an old one. Thanks to my friend Frivolitea's blog, I recently read a review of Jasmine Nights & Monkey Pluck: Love, Discovery and Tea (Floreant Press, 2002). I located a used copy online, and soon I was holding a lovely paperback book with a pretty green cover. The premise of this title is intriguing. Three women collaborated on the book and "sent pictures of teacups to writers and poets and invited them to create work containing a sense of abundance, pieces that celebrate the ironies and simple pleasures of daily life."

The book includes a wide range of essays and poetry, and I definitely had my favorites, such as a piece titled "Sacrament" by Robin Beeman, who writes, "Tea implies a moment to oneself, a time to cast your gaze inward while still being present in the world, a time to give thanks." And Sandra Kazanjian's humorous "Coming to Tea" made me smile as a woman ponders the various teas she "should" be serving to an overly-chatty visitor, only to realize she is serving "the perfect tea – Constant Comment." (I have a few friends like that! Don't you wish people came with an "off button" sometimes?)

If you read this book, you might be surprised, as I was, that the essays aren't all sweetness and light. Yes, some essays may speak of a childhood tea or a magical Pagoda Teapot, but others explore some of the darker sides of life: cancer, apartheid, a lost love. The range of topics was surprising, and I found the variety of selections quite thoughtful. Reading this book was a reminder for me to, in the words of essayist Janelle Va Melvin, "mindfully consume life's constant and endless refills."

When is a teacup a bargain?

Something I've been wondering about that I decided I would go ahead and ask you all: At what price do you consider a bone china teacup a bargain? In the Atlanta area, I'd say average prices for a vintage English bone china cup and saucer are in the range of $16-$25. If I see one for $10-$15, that's on the low end of things. And I just don't see too many under $10. I nearly walked by a familiar booth in a Marietta antique mall the other day when my eye caught a glimpse of something and went, "Wait a minute, is that a chintz teacup?"

It was, and it was just $8.50, which I thought was "a deal," even though this set is fairly new and not vintage. And to my surprise, this booth had those little paper-strip coupons offering 20 percent off everything in the booth. So, my teacup was $6.80, which made it a very good buy in my mind. That got me to wondering how my personal pricing system compares with teacup prices elsewhere in the country. Would $6.80 be a good deal for this in your neck of the woods? What about $25? (I'm happy with it no matter what, I'm just curious to know which area of the country gives us the most for our teacup dollars!)

The backstamp says this is the Vintage Florals Grape pattern by Royal Albert from 2003. When I looked online, I confirmed that the word "grape" is not referring to the fruit but to the color. This design also came in other colors including Lilac, Blush and Peach. When I checked out with my "grape" teacup, I was rather amused that the cashier at the antique mall was so impressed with my find. "Wow, you really got a bargain on your teacup here ... yes ma'am, that was a bargain on this set ... say, did that booth have any more of these?" (No, I told her. I'd have gotten them if they had!)

A Jubilee salute to Queen Elizabeth

If we were in Great Britain right now, I know many of us would be gathered at some home or tea shop settling in for a truly English style Diamond Jubilee Tea in honor of Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne! Since we U.S. admirers of the Queen are deprived of that particular joy, this week I'm betting many of us will be paying close attention to the TV coverage of celebrations across the pond. To celebrate from afar, I've pulled out a vintage plate celebrating Queen Elizabeth's coronation on June 2, 1953. The backstamp reads "Edwardian" and (some number I can't read) "ct. gold."

Count me as one of those proud-to-be-an-American Americans who is also a great admirer of the Queen. I am always drawn to those who still believe in old-fashioned "duty," and the Queen has certainly earned her merit badge in that regard! Some of us in the newsroom at work the other day were discussing the fact she and Prince Phillip have to show up at all those factory openings and meet 'n greets with smiles on their faces as the proud locals line up to thank the boss, the workers, the person who typed the program, the children who colored the drawings, the caterer ... Would *you* want her job? I wouldn't. (Some of the perks, maybe, but not the job!) I didn't realize until watching the ABC special about her on TV the other night that the Queen still attends about 400 of those public events a year. At 86? The most strenuous thing I hope to do at age 86 is decide which type of tea to sip while swinging on the porch at my beach house and listening to the waves rolling in from the ocean. (And no, I don't have a beach house yet, but there's still time!).

And to think, Queen Elizabeth was only 25 when she got the job. Can you imagine?

These vintage postcards were some I found in an antique mall years ago, and even though they're black and white images I can "see" the gold of the carriage and the colorful, excited crowd.

So yes, I'm a fan. I can't wait to read how some of the other tea bloggers are celebrating this week (and I know at least one, Phyllis of The Relevant Tea Leaf, was going to a Jubilee Tea!). Speaking of tea, I just knew there would be some special tea blends to celebrate the occasion. If you're interested, you can click on the links below to find out more about …

• Fortnum and Mason's Jubilee Tea Blend.

• Whittard of Chelsea's Jubilee Tea.

• Twinings' Jubilee Tea Blend.

• And closer to home, the Harney and Sons Diamond Jubilee Tea Blend, which is friendlier to American purses than ordering from overseas. (Can't wait for mine to arrive!)

Are you celebrating and/or watching the festivities in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee this week? I'd love to know!

Teatime Giveaway #22 – Shadow work linen placemats

The winner of "Dainty Dining" from last week is Kathy L. from Colorado. Congrats! And for this week's giveaway, I decided it was time to offer some vintage linens again! These four placemats, which I found at a local antique mall a while back, have one of the prettiest inset embroidery designs I've ever seen. Interestingly, they are reversible, because the embroidery is on both the front and the back, and I believe this type of embroidery is known as shadow work. I still haven't quite figured out how the embroideress accomplished this, but I'm impressed!

And I say "placemats" because that seems to be the size of these, 17 x 11-1/2 inches. (And I'm sorry about the photo -- photographing white against white was probably not a good idea!) I've laundered and pressed them, but when I found them they were folded into thirds sort of like tea towels. I think they're too short for that. You, however, may feel free to use these any old way you like!

The detail, including the pulled thread work, is just so pretty. I'm hoping someone will love these as much as I do! To be entered to win, just leave a comment to this post between now and noon EST on Friday, June 8. Good luck!

A Christmas sugar and creamer

If you have any hopes of having *vintage* Christmas teawares on your Christmas tea table this year, take a tip from a friend and start gathering now! Every December, it occurs to me that I've meant to add a few new Christmas pieces, but by then of course it's too late to find anything. This year, I've begun early. I found this great sugar and creamer set for just $5 at the Lavonia Antique Mall a few weeks ago on my way home from Asheville, N.C.

If it's got holly or a poinsettia on it, count me in! These two pieces are unmarked, but I liked the design and the soft iridescent glaze.

And of course a fancy handle never hurts. Merry Christmas!

So Delicious Green Tea Coconut Milk

Quite a while back, perhaps even last year, two different friends told me about finding some green tea ice cream at the grocery store. My friend Joanie has never led me astray, so on her recommendation I headed to the store she told me about but they were out of it. Then my friend Deberah even posted about this treat on her blog, but alas, it was not in stock when I went for a pint. Either A) my friends enjoy messing with me B) the stores can't keep this stuff in stock or C) it just wasn't meant for me to try it back then. At any rate, I'm thrilled to report I have found, purchased and enjoyed some of this delicious ice cold goodness!

I keep wanting to call it "ice cream," but technically it's So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert in the Green Tea flavor. That's a mouthful to say, but it's a happy mouthful to eat, I'm tellin' ya! The green tea taste in the ice cream non-dairy frozen dessert was subtle, and the coconut flavor was one I'd never have thought of pairing with green tea, but it works!

This was a great cool treat, and definitely something I plan to purchase again—if I can find it! (Found mine at the Kroger on Lower Fayetteville Road, local friends.)

A new chintz tea-for-one set

It's funny to me how we sometimes use the word "chintzy" to mean something (or someone) cheap, because when I got into chintzware I noted that chintz may have been "chintzy" when it was originally introduced, but chintzware prices are definitely not chintzy today! Lately I've been outbid on everything chintz I've tried to purchase on eBay, most recently a vintage teacup that went for around $50. I know it was a good "book price," but I'm just not paying it. Where I come from, that should buy at least five teacups! (Or, around 1,250 vintage handkerchiefs, if you shop like my parents do in yesterday's post.) Because I am so personally chintzy when it comes to collecting chintz, I was especially happy to get a Gracie Bone China chintz tea-for-one set as a birthday gift from my friend Beth this year!

Oh, I do love my chintz pieces. There's just not much that's prettier than china covered *entirely* in flowers!

And of course I'm always smitten with a pretty handle. Love these!

There's something a little luxurious, I find, about pausing to make a cup of tea with a tea-for-one set. Do you agree?

Ahhhh!

A vintage handkerchief fashion show

Some little girls play dress-up with their paper dolls. I play dress-up with my teacups and vintage handkerchiefs, especially after I received a humongous stash of gorgous vintage ones over the weekend!

My parents were at a yard sale the other day when they came across this box of vintage handkerchiefs. It was $3. There were 71 gorgeous hankies in this box! (Pausing to do the happy dance. OK. Done. I mean, really, 4¢ a hankie? Wow!)

Do you ever use vintage handkerchiefs as napkins? I do, and I think they are so pretty slipped through the handle of a teacup. Yes, I had to get past the image of what that hankie was doing in its previous life, but nicely laundered and pressed, they make fine, fine napkins. I've been paying $4-$5 for pretty Christmas ones when I see them, so I was thrilled to find a poinsettia hankie in this box!

Hankies are also great as doilies. (Not sure I've ever seen a *black* handkerchief before, but I like this one with its fancy black and gray crocheted trim. Sort of like the "little black dress" of hankies, I guess!)

It's really hard to choose a favorite! One with roses, perhaps?

But then there are all these with the great hand-crocheted trim, and I know how much work these took!

I was ransacking my tea cabinet to see which napkin would go with which teacup, and this green one certainly has a fine mate!

What do you call this sheer, see-through material? Is it organdy? These are whisper thin. So, so lovely!

One of my favorites in the whole box was this round hankie with tulips on it. But then I also liked the one with the crocheted butterfly in the corner as well!

And would you believe there were even a few with my initial "M" on them? That's "M" as in "Meant to be!"

Happy Memorial Day

One Saturday morning over the winter, I stood on a downtown street corner holding this little flag as the motorcade came through town honoring a young local serviceman who was arriving back home for his burial. As we enjoy the holiday today, I also want to pause to pray and reflect on those who've given the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and to the families and friends they've left behind. May God Bless America, and I wish a safe and Happy Memorial Day to you all!

(Tea-related tidbit: Put a plastic baggie inside an old tea tin, pour water inside, and you can use the tin as a floral container without it rusting!)

Teatime Giveaway #21 - A copy of "Dainty Dining"

The winner of the notecards from last week is Phyllis of The Relevant Tea Leaf blog, so congrats! Now I've been meaning to give away a copy of my book "Dainty Dining" quarterly, so now that I'm down to my last box of books I thought I'd go ahead and get this "Spring" copy scheduled to give away. When I last gave a copy away in the Winter, I recall a number of you had hoped to win one, so maybe this will be your time!

To be entered, just leave a comment to this post between now and noon EST on Friday, June 1. Good luck, and I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

A nappy from the Marshall Field Tea Room

I've made just a few additions to my collection of department store tea room memorabilia this year, but one of the ones I was most thrilled to find was this Marshall Field nappy. What is a nappy? Merriam-Webster calls it "a rimless shallow open serving dish." I regularly see nappies in Depression glass, but I don't often see them in anything else. This piece was especially interesting to me because the online seller said it came from the Marshall Field Tea Room, and I have a matching demitasse cup and saucer from the same tea room.

The colors are a bit brighter on this nappy than the ones on that set, and I suppose that's because this is made of sturdier stock, diner-type thick restaurant ware and not the fine Limoges china that the demitasse cup and saucer are made of. The nappy is about 5-1/2 inches wide, the bowl part about 5 inches in diameter. Enough for a small serving of Chicken Pot Pie, perhaps?

Lamberton China, a division of Sterling, made this dish. The seller was actually quite helpful and told me he once loaned this piece for an exhibit of Marshall Field memorabilia. Wouldn't it be great if, one day, I could set a small table (for four, say) entirely with Marshall Field Tea Room teawares? But then again, at my current rate of collecting one piece per year, I probably don't need to send out the invitations just yet!